DALLAS – As the number of West Nile Virus cases rises in North Texas, a survivor is sharing his traumatic story from August 2009.
Sean Lemoine, who endured the severe neuroinvasive form of the virus, is recounting his experience as the virus continues to impact the region.
“I was on the porch in 2009 with my son, and the mosquitoes were relentless,” Lemoine said. “I told him, ‘Let’s go inside.’”
By September 1, 2009, Lemoine’s health had deteriorated rapidly. “By about the eighth day, meningitis had set in.
I was blacking out and my vision was going in and out of focus. We rushed to the emergency room,” he recalled.
“The last thing I remember them saying was that it wasn’t a brain tumor, but they were going to perform a spinal tap.”
Now 51, Lemoine described being paralyzed from the neck down and on a ventilator for three weeks. The pain he felt was excruciating due to the virus’s demyelination effect.
His speech has been affected permanently, and he has a frozen vocal cord, among other lasting issues. “I have an asymmetric weakness.
I can lift about 25 pounds,” Lemoine said. “My right leg is paralyzed, and I have diaphragmatic paralysis on the right side.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are currently 45 cases of West Nile Virus nationwide, including 24 neuroinvasive cases across 19 states.
According to the source, Texas is among the three states with the highest numbers of these cases.
Lemoine is set to give a speech on August 2 in Dallas County about his experience with the West Nile Virus. In the meantime, North Dallas has reported its first human case of the virus this summer.
The patient, residing in the 75230 zip code, has the less severe West Nile fever.
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In Garland, health officials reported that two individuals with West Nile fever, including one international traveler, have recovered. Denton County has also confirmed a positive case in Sanger.
To combat the spread of the virus, municipalities are actively spraying for mosquitoes. Farmers Branch will conduct spraying on Wednesday and Thursday nights after 10 p.m.